Tumbling toy



Aug. 3., 1926.

- E. E. LYNCH TUMBLING' TOY Filed August 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

EVERETT E. LYNCH, OF

TUMBLING TOY.

Application filed August 27, 1925. Serial No. 52,872.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus, particularly to toys, and has for its object the provision of a novel toy embodya plurality of suitably mounted, supported and connected figures so arranged as to have the appearance of turning somersaults upon actuation of the control member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of this characterembodying a relatively stationary support or frame con structed to resemble a ladder and further embodying a plurality of movable figures carried by cross bars representing the rungs of the ladder. the successive cross bars of the various figure members being so con structed and arranged and provided with double hinge mountings that the somersaul't action will be obtained when the operating member is moved.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character in which the operating means consists of a simple crank handle capable of being easily manipulated by a child or other person of small intelligence so as to throw the movable members into operation.

in additional object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to control and operate, positive in action,'attractive in use, etficient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

YVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device.

Figure 2 is a vertical section therethrough showing the parts in normal position.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but showing actuation of the uppermost member to start the somersault action, and Figure 4 is a. detail perspective view on a larger scale showing the uppermost member as moved to start the action.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown the stationary portion of the device as including a suitable base to which are secured, in any desired manner, spaced parallel upstanding bars 11 which may be said to constitute the sides of the ladder structure defined by the entire device. At their upper ends, these members 11 are connected by a cross bar 12. Mounted'within the confines of the frame defined by the members 11 and 12, is a frame member 18 including upper and lower cross bars 14 and 15 connected by longitudinally extending bars 16. I T his member is pivoted on a shaft 17 provided at one end with a crank handle 18 whereby it may be turned by the 7 operator. Secured on one of the uprights 11 is a transverse strip 19 or the like acting as a stop to limit the turning movement of the shaft, the stop being engageable by the crank handle 18 at either limit of its move ment.

Located within the confines of the supports 11' and below the frame member 13 is a series of frame members 20, 21, 22 and 23. ll hile the exact number is shown, it is of coursequite true there may be more or less as prefcred depending upon the taste or desires of the manufacturer and the contemplated cost of the toy. All of these frame members to 23 inclusive are similar and each includes upper and lower cross bars 24 and 25 respectively connected by some suitable means preferably small toy figures indicated at 26.

All of the frame members 13, 20, 21, 22 211K 23 are connected by means which may be broadly described as double swing hinges formeo, in actual practice, as flexible members 27, such as wires or cords, each of which has one end secured to one cross bar of a frame, brought between this cross bar and theneXt adjacent one, brought along the space between the two cross bars of the frame, trained about the other cross bar and secured thereto as clearly indicated in the drawings. The construction and arrangement of such flexible hinge forming connections is well known as it is the type commonly used in toys known ordinarily as tumbling blocks.

Secured against the confronting sides of the members 11 are elongated members 28 formed with longitudinal slots 29 within which engage the ends of a transverse mem ber 30 carried by the lowermost frame member, the purpose being to confine the frame members, all of them to the space between the uprights 11 and to prevent them from having any lateral swinging movement with respect thereto.

The normal position of the parts is shown in Figure l In order to set the device into operation, it is intended that the operator grasp the crank handle 18 and thereby swing the uppermost frame member 13 downwardly in either direction. When this is done, the entire series of frame members 20 to 23 inclusive will be lifted with respect to the frame member 13 and the uppermost frame member 20 will lie against the frame member 13 as shown in Figure Vlhen this is done, it is quite apparent that the flexible members constituting the double swing hi1 e connections will permit the successive frame members 20, 21, and to swing downwardly, the successive ones swii ring in opposite directions so that the vario .s figures 26 will give the appearani-e of turning somersauits. By turning the crank handle 18 in one direction and then in the other it is quite apparent that this movement may be continued as long as desired.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed, inexpensive and very easily operated tumbling toy which will be extremely attractive and entertaining to the young, especially as it is a very realistic representation of somersaulting figures. t is believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be clearly apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form,

construction and arrangement of parts as will not departfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the snbjoined claims.

Having thus described the inventioml claim V 1. In a toy of the character described, an upright frame having a foot piece and atop piece, a crank shaft journaled transversely through. the upper portion of the frame and having an operating handle, a frame secured upon said crank shaft, a series of frame members located below said frame, each of the frames including upper and lower cross bars and connecting means, double swing hinge connecting means between the succes- 's, guide elements carried by op- 1 out: i. cs of the upright frame and means l the lowermost frame element en said guides. 1 2. in a toy of the character described, an upright frame having a foot piece and a tween the successive frames, longitudinally V nvnnnrr E. LYNCH. 

